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Definition of Rural Crime Crime that happens in rural areas Crimes that are more specific/common to rural areas e.g. wildlife crime

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The Scottish Crime Survey National survey of households in Scotland One adult per household, sample=5000 Eight sweeps since 1982, every 3-4 years Main aims are: –Provide a comparative measure of crime to police statistics –Examine trends in extent & nature of crime –Study risks of victimisation –Collect information on crime-related issues, such as concern about crime and attitudes to the police.

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Limitations of the survey Not all crime types are included Not all victims are included Some sample bias can’t be corrected Small samples make low level analysis problematic e.g. at police force area level BUT the new Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2008 has improved design and sample size

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Reporting to the police Crimes in rural areas slightly more likely overall to be reported to the police than crimes in urban areas (39% vs 35%) This is particularly the case for vehicle thefts and property vandalism The main reasons for reporting crimes are: –It’s the right thing to do/duty to report –Hope the offender gets caught/punished –Wish to avoid the crime happening again/to others –Insurance claim or desire to recover property No difference between urban and rural areas

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Age/sex profile of victims No sex difference overall between victims and non-victims in urban or rural areas (approx 50:50) The average age of victims in urban and rural areas was the same (age 39), although rural respondents were slightly older overall Looking at violent crimes in particular: –Males are more likely to be victims in both urban and rural areas, but the gender gap is narrower in rural areas –Males aged 16-24 made up one third of victims in urban areas, but one quarter of victims in rural areas –Older males (45-59) made up a higher proportion of violence victims in rural areas than in urban areas –Victims of violence in rural areas were about 5 years older, on average, than urban victims –Female victims were slightly older than male victims in both urban and rural areas

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Anxieties about crime Most victims of crime in both urban and rural areas report feeling ‘annoyed’ and ‘angry’ about their experience. Less than 1 in 10 report ‘fear’. Those in remote rural areas are most likely to feel safe walking alone in their communities at night, urban residents feel least safe Most rural respondents also report feeling least worried about the possibility of being victimised in a range of ways BUT victims of crime in remote rural areas are most worried about being victimised again, particularly in relation to vehicle theft and vandalism